Tug-hook



' (No Model.)

A. RYAN.

TUG HOOK.

No. 479,465. Patented July 26, 1892.

%z. a. fidbg. $76771?!) @6072 B) I y WM MAJ ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW RYAN, OF BAYFIELD, WVISCONSIN.

TUG-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 479,465, dated July 26, 1892.

Application filed November 25, 1891- Serial No. 413,125. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayfield, in the county of Bayfield and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tug-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is in the nature of a tughook specially designed for securely holding tug or trace chains where heavy hauling is done; and the object in view is to provide such hooks with a safety device to obviate the liability of the tug or chain being accidentally disconnected from the hook by reason of jumping caused by the uneven pull on the tug or chain.

The invention consists in providing a tughook with a peculiar spring-lock of such construction and arrangement as will prevent the hook and tug or chain being accidentally disconnected and at the same time admit of ready and easy detachment of the said tug or chain when desired. A further aim in devising this locking attachment is to provide such rigidity of parts as will stand the rough handling to which such hooks are usually subjected.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view showing the manner in which the tug or chain is connected. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tug or chain being detached from the hook, and Fig. 3 is a modification of the construction shown by the first two views.

In the drawings, A denotes a hook of common construction, having secured to its upper leg or member B one end of a U-shaped spring 0 by rivets a or in any other suitable manner. The free end of the spring 0 in its normal state rests against the side of the hook by reason of its transverse tension and is at D bent to a right angle over the hook, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and then backwardly at E in the shape of a triangle and extending to the upper member,

as shown. The object of this construction is that if the chain should kink or become loose and fly up in the triangle portion E of the lock it cannot free itself, but must slide back in place, and thus obviate all liability of accidental severance.

The facility with which the tug or chain can be detached from the hook is clearly shown by the drawings. In both cases the usual ring or link forming the end of the tug is pressed laterally against the inclined end E of the spring-tongue C, Fig. 1 of the drawings showing manner of connecting and Fig. 2 the disconnection.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form of spring hereinbefore described, as I may modify its construction, as shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings, in which the fixed end of the spring is a straight bar and secured to the lower part of the hook sufficienty near the front end thereof as will allow of necessary elasticity to insure the return of the free end of the spring to its normal condition.

It is not my object to broadly claim a hook having a spring-lock for securing the tug in place; but

IVhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a hook, of a tongue consisting of a spring secured to one side of the hook and conforming substantially to the outline thereof and having its free end at a point beyond the end of the hook bent transversely over the shank to a point beneath the end of the hook and thence upwardly, closing the mouth of the hook, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a hook, of a tongue consisting of a flat spring secured to one side of the hook at a point beyond the end of the hook, bent upwardly and transversely across the top of the shank, and at a point beneath the end of the hook bent upwardly and rearwardly, its extreme end rest ing beneath theend of the hook and closing the mouth thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aftlx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW RYAN.

Witnesses:

E. F. GLEASON, FLORA B. HOLT. 

